2 dead amid violence in Meghalaya's Garo Hills

Shillong: Two Muslim men were reportedly killed and several others injured in violent clashes in Meghalaya after a notification restricted non-tribal candidates from contesting elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).

The violence began late on March 9 and continued until March 11 in Chibinang town in the Phulbari plains area of West Garo Hills. According to police, the two men were killed on March 10 when security personnel opened fire while attempting to disperse violent mobs during clashes between tribal and non-tribal groups.

Authorities imposed a full-day curfew as a precaution and suspended internet and mobile services for 48 hours across all five Garo Hills districts. Additional police and military personnel were deployed in the region to prevent further escalation.

The tensions followed a notification issued by the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council on February 17, which made it mandatory for candidates to produce a valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate while filing nomination papers for the council elections scheduled for April 10. The rule effectively bars non-tribal candidates from contesting the polls, although at least five of the 30 GHADC constituencies fall within non-tribal areas, Siasat Daily reported.

The unrest reportedly began after former Phulbari MLA Esmatur Mominin and another non-tribal candidate were allegedly attacked while attempting to file nomination papers for the council elections at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Tura. With pressure groups already expressing concern over non-tribal participation in the polls, the attack inside the DC office is said to have triggered wider violence in the region.

Following the incident, authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew starting at midnight on March 10 and suspended mobile internet services for 48 hours.

As the violence spread to Turamarket, several shops were set on fire, roadside market sheds were damaged, and properties—including a political party office—were attacked. Several commercial establishments were also vandalised.

Reports also indicated that a group of men allegedly assaulted the imam of the Tura mosque, while a mob vandalised the town’s Jama Masjid Tura. Videos circulating online reportedly showed attackers damaging property and assaulting people nearby.

In retaliation, a mob later set fire to the office of the Garo Students' Union. Hours later, a large crowd gathered at Chibinang market and clashed with police.

West Garo Hills police chief Abraham T Sangma said the two victims were residents of Chibinang. He stated that the deaths occurred at the scene during clashes between tribal and non-tribal groups linked to the GHADC elections, adding that police opened fire while attempting to disperse an unlawful assembly.